“Take that!” Morton shouts.
His machine wails as it shoots herbicide at the monsters. I hear their terrible screeching and the heavy thumps as Billy attacks them with his pipe. But I can pay no further attention to their battle, because one of the Bulb People is almost on me.
“Use the sprayer, Katie!” I shout.
She remains rigid with shock.
“Katie!”
The creature shines with a hellish red glow. I try to get the nozzle away from Katie, but the monster grabs me around the waist with its snaky arms and lifts me clear off the ground. A horrid fanged mouth splits open.
Katie finally springs into action, aiming the nozzle at the creature.
“Out of the way, Ryan,” she yells. “You’re blocking my shot!”
“Mgfffh!” I reply.
I’m paralyzed with terror. The fangs draw closer. Savage yellow eyes glare. A blast of foul breath washes over me as I near the gaping mouth. The stench is so powerful that it spurs me to a final, desperate action. I kick hard, right where the monster’s snout would be if it had one.
It howls with rage and flings me away.
I land on the sprayer machine, breaking it to pieces. The poison tank falls over, pouring its contents into the ground. Then the monster grabs Katie and dangles her by her feet.
“Help!” she shrieks. “Save me, Ryan!”
I lift the heavy tank and stagger forward, ready to slosh the remaining poison over the monster ... Then I hesitate.
A golden vision suddenly appears out of the gloom – a vision of life without Katie. No more tattling, no more shoves, no more being humiliated. A beautiful new world will open up for me. With her gone, Bob will soon disappear, too!
Yes, why not wait a just a little before using the antidote? Let the creature have dinner first. And who would know? Surely nobody would blame me if Katie vanished. Gleaming joy blots out my fear. I set the tank down.
But then Katie screams as teeth close in on her head. The sound is so heart-wrenching that it forces me out of revenge mode.
“Leave her alone!”
I heft the tank and fling it with all my strength. Poison spills over the Bulb man, sending hissing smoke into the air. With a savage roar, the monster drops Katie and runs away on its stumpy legs.
The other creatures are running, too, across Melody Acres to the open fields beyond. As they retreat, their lights flicker out, one by one.
Between the terror, the physical exertion, and a looming asthma attack, I cannot remain standing any longer. I collapse, battered and exhausted, to the rocky ground.
From my position in the dirt, I see Katie walking up. Thank heaven she’s okay. I feel an almost brotherly affection for her.
“You little creep.” She kicks me in the ribs. “You got that junk all over my new running shoes!”
She takes off.
34: Aftermath
I lie on my back staring up into the night sky. My body is numb all over, but not so much that I can’t feel the stones jabbing into me. Morton and Billy appear.
“Are you okay, Ryan?” Morton asks.
“Wonderful,” I say. “It only hurts when I breathe.”
I move, and pain shoots from the top of my head right down my toes. Another move, another jab of pain. I struggle to a sitting position and get out my inhaler.
“Nothing seems broken, at least,” I say between tokes.
They help me to my feet.
“Let’s get out of this place,” Billy says.
As we walk along, I shake some life back into my arms and legs. The numbness leaves, replaced by a general bruised sensation – the way a basketball might feel after an NBA game. My skin burns where the herbicide got on it.
“You did great, Ryan,” Billy says. “This whole town has been saved, thanks to you.”
“That’s right,” Morton says. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”
I know they are just trying to make me feel better. Actually, I’ve almost ruined the whole plan. And the big pay off? Bridgestock gets to survive. Why doesn’t that cheer me up?
Billy’s car is concealed in the garage of an abandoned house. Along with it are several large containers of water. We used them to wash the herbicide off ourselves.
“This stuff is nasty!” Billy says.
The whole side of his face is covered with a rash. Morton has pretty good coverage, too.
“Yeah, but it’s lot nastier to those creatures,” I say. “I loved the way it made them smoke!”
“As long as we didn’t swallow any, we’ll be okay,” Morton says.
My skin feels much better with the poison washed off. I can concentrate more on my other pains which are all screeching for attention.
“Let’s get you home, Ryan,” Morton says.
We all pile into Billy’s car. Morton sits in front with Billy while I get the whole back seat to sprawl out on. It’s like a luxury sofa from heaven. The leather upholstery feels cool on my raw skin, its scent caresses my nostrils.
It isn’t long before we reach my neighborhood. We stop a block down from my house.
“Okay, Billy,” Morton says, “you promised to leave town as soon as this was over, right?”
“Yeah,” Billy says, “I can take a hint.”
He reaches back and shakes my hand.
“Come on out to the club, Ryan, I know Spider would be glad to see you.”
“I’d like that,” I say.
“Hey, the way you handled yourself tonight, maybe you could teach us a few things,” Billy says.
“Thanks.”
“And tell Katie that I think she’s hot,” Billy says.
I start to laugh, but it hurts too much. Billy drives off leaving me and Morton on the sidewalk. As we approach the house, I notice Mom’s car parked in the driveway.
“Mom’s back already,” I say. “She was supposed to be gone until Thursday.”
Yells fly from inside the house, blasting us on the sidewalk. Bob, Mom, Katie – I can’t make out the words and don’t want to.
“Maybe you should leave now, Morton,” I say.
Morton brushes off his clothes and squares his shoulders.
“No, I’m coming in with you.”
As we climb the porch steps, the door flies open and Mom appears. Her hair is all frazzled and she has a crazed look on her face. Car keys jangle in her hand.
“Ryan!” she cries. “I was just going to look for you.”
She grabs me in a tight hug, nearly knocking me over. I wince with pain.
“Hi, Mom.”
She holds me at arms’ length. “You’re hurt!”
“Only some bruises and scrapes,” I say. “I’m not bleeding to death or anything.”
“I just knew something was wrong,” Mom says. “I knew I had to come back early.”
Bob’s voice bellows from the living room. “Close the door, already!”
Mom brings me inside, Morton follows close behind us.
The house looks like a tornado has whipped through. A lamp is knocked over, Bob’s papers are scattered on the floor, and a pot of coffee is dumped over the dining room table. Katie’s ruined shoes lie in the middle of the living room.
Leopard Girl herself is flopped on the couch, red-faced and crying. Bob sits next to her with one arm over her shoulders.
“Don’t cry, Katie, Daddy’s here.”
He looks up and jabs a finger at Morton.
“Who are you?”
“Morton Kasinski, I teach at the middle school.”
Bob snorts and turns back to Katie. She lets out another long wail. Bob wipes a handkerchief over her face.
“It was terrible, Dad,” she bawls. “And it’s all Ryan’s fault!”
Bob shoots me a poisonous look. “Why you little – ”
“That’s enough, Bob,” Mom yells. “Shut your damn mouth!”
“What did you say?” Bob’s voice is dark and threatening.
He rises from the
couch and moves toward Mom, his hand rolled into a fist. Morton steps in front of him. His normally pleasant face is hard and angry.
“Calm down, mister. Right now!” he says.
I move beside Morton to help him as much as I can. Bob looks us over with fury in his eyes. Then he seems to think better of things and goes back to Katie on the couch. Her sobs trail off into the handkerchief.
“Let’s go get your injuries taken care of, Ryan,” Mom says. “You, too, Mr. Kasinski.”
She opens the door, then she turns back toward Bob.
“We’re not coming back,” she says.
“What?”
Bob looks like he’s been kicked in the gut.
“The movers will come for our things,” Mom says, “and you’ll be hearing from my divorce attorney.”
Bob jumps back to his feet. “You won’t get my real estate holdings!”
“Don’t let them rob us, Daddy!” Katie wails.
Mom gives Katie a disgusted glance, then she turns back toward Bob.
“That depends on you, Mr. Warwick,” she says. “Play it square, and everything in this rotten town is all yours. Give us a hard time, and I’ll take your last cent.”
We step outside; Mom slams the door behind us. It sounds like a guillotine blade cutting me off from a nightmare chapter of my life.
35: Back Home
I can scarcely believe what’s happening. Every trace of pain vanishes from my banged up body. My feet bounce off the ground as I get into Mom’s car. They’ll never step in this horrible place again.
We roar off into the night.
“Where’re we going, Mom?” I ask.
“First to the clinic,” Mom says, “then back to our old house.”
“You mean ... you haven’t sold it?”
“It’s still ours,” Mom says.
“Yes!”
I see our house clearly in my mind – my beautiful room, the basement gym, the huge backyard. I’ll never complain about raking leaves ever again. My old friends will all be there waiting for me. Spider will be coming over, too, after we go to jujitsu class – and Billy Conner.
“You’ll probably have to take summer classes to make up for your lost school work,” Mom says.
“No problem!” I almost shout.
The way I’m feeling now, summer school seems like the absolute greatest thing imaginable. I feel ready to burst with joy, shout out to the world that I am back from the dead.
But I keep silent. This moment is so perfect that I don’t want to spoil it by talking any more. Everything I’ve dreamed about is happening all at once, like a waterfall of good luck.
“Thanks for standing up for me back there, Mr. Kasinski,” Mom says. “I don’t know what I ever saw in that jerk.”
“Don’t mention it, and, please – the name is Morton.”
“Of course, Morton,” Mom says.
She reaches over and squeezes the back of Morton’s hand. He turns it over and laces fingers with her. They drive this way a while, holding hands. Then Mom takes hers away in order to work the stick shift.
A warm glow seems to drift back towards me from the front seat. Hey, things might be turning out even better than I dared hope!
I look out into the night. Somewhere, the Bulb People are fleeing across the lonely fields wounded and terrified – maybe even dying. I almost regret the thrashing we gave them. After all, they’re responsible for finally getting me out of Bridgestock.
“Thanks,” I whisper into the darkness.
Would the Bulb People survive, and if they did, where would they go next? That would just have to be somebody else’s problem as I’m officially resigning from the hero business.
Well, maybe not.
Moral of the Story
Should the Bulb People move to your town next, don’t chase them away until they have eaten all the nasty people.
THE END
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Connect with the Author
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the story. Please visit my website for young readers.
Next Book in the Series
THE GARRISON is the next book in the Terror Orchard series. In it, two surviving members of the bulb people, Mr. and Mrs. Ponge, make their reappearance.
Cyndy, their niece and wannabee girlfriend of Billy Conner, must oppose their evil plans by herself as Billy is off visiting his dad and most likely forgetting about her with the girls on the California beaches.
Cyndy’s boyfriend, Justin, is no help to her. In fact, he’s a huge part of a problem that looks to have fatal consequences – for somebody.
Brian’s Other Books
Here are brief descriptions of my other kids’ books. They are available at all major online retailers in ebook format. To find the relevant links, please visit my website for young readers.
Captive in Terror Orchard
Book 1 of the Terror Orchard series
To the authorities, Billy Conner is just a rebellious and defiant juvenile delinquent. To his foster parents, he’s a pawn in a fiendish drug plot. He’s much more than anyone realizes, though – he’d better be, or the consequences will be unspeakable. Assisted by unlikely allies, one of them literally “dug up” from the orange orchard, Billy struggles for his freedom and for the lives of countless other potential victims.
light horror / action adventure
Disaster Productions
Matt’s struggle to win media fame by his 14th birthday leads to escalating disasters. Matt knows that he is too much of an impractical dreamer achieve this goal on his own. He needs help from a smart collaborator. Enter manipulative genius and borderline frenemy Stephan “Duals” Chrono.
The resulting power struggles and unexpected consequences drive the story. Throughout the chaos, Matt develops the focus and leadership skills necessary for true success and, incidentally, does become famous in a totally unpredictable way.
humor / satire
The Lost Country
Crown Prince Rupert struggles against ignorance and superstition to rally his countrymen against a dire threat coming from the mysterious Eastlands. When disaster finally strikes, it’s up to Rupert and his band of often questionable allies to win through or face destruction of his kingdom and everything he holds dear.
Young adult action / adventure fantasy
A Hurricane in Your Suitcase
Brett’s constant lying is getting him into serious trouble. Can big brother Joe stop admiring himself long enough to help turn things around? A strange mixture of cautionary tales leads to a showdown with the Giant Hill.
Children’s humor / satire
The Daring Rooftop Rescue
“Coming up in the world” can bring unexpected problems as Johnny Badger learns the hard way. Despite his new-found wealth, Johnny is no match for the complicated political situation in Forest Towne. His own bumbling arrogance adds to his woes.
Children’s humor / satire
TIME BEFORE COLOR TV SERIES
Follow the adventures of Amanda Searles and her friends as they make astonishing discoveries, invent new stuff, and generally save the world. Based in 1950’s USA, they branch out into strange realms of the wider universe to set things right. It’s all in a day’s work.
Middle grade – Young Adult humor / adventure / fantasy
How Raspberry Jam got Invented
Book 1 of the Time before Color TV series
The last summer picnic turns into an astonishing disaster! Melissa’s snotty arrogance involves the friends in a situation they may not survive, but maybe they will.
Middle grade humor / adventure / fantasy
The First Ring Rainbow
Book 2 of the Time before Color TV series
1950’s cold war tension at it’s
scariest. Anything can happen during the Atomic Summer. Amanda struggles to deal with the era’s sexist restraints, her fugitive Russian communist grandparents, and the appearance of a bizarre creature at Secret Pond. Somehow, everything ties together.
Middle grade humor / adventure / fantasy
Adventure Bike Club& the Tire Giant
Book 3 of the Time before Color TV series
The huge tire on the freeway outside town is not an advertisement, as people think, but a vessel from another universe on a sinister mission. Can Amanda and her friends make it back out alive? The fate of the world might hinge on the outcome. Not only that, but the town mayor stands to lose a fair amount of money.
Middle grade humor / adventure / fantasy
The Great Flying Adventure
Book 4 of the Time before Color TV series
Amanda and Quentin fly to an alien universe where Quentin competes in a brutal sports tournament to determine the fate of the Earth and of human civilization. Amanda falls for the enemy team captain, and things become terribly complicated.
Tween humor / adventure / fantasy
Return of Mr. Badpenny
Book 5 of the Time before Color TV series
Tommy gets more than he expected from a mysterious two-headed coin. The power it gives him goes rapidly to his own head, setting him on a course to moral decay. Solution? Hand it off to Melissa, who also goes off the rails with her new found power. Eventually, they team up to battle the danger.
Tween humor / adventure / fantasy
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